


Things Unexpected

by Demial



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, M/M, Morning Wood, Polyamory Negotiations, Sharing a Bed, Some Plot, Temporarily Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-13 14:12:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18470584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demial/pseuds/Demial
Summary: You, a master, end up with two servants, Archer Emiya and Lancer Diarmuid. But it's a drain on your mana and your patience. The tags are terrible because this was planned terribly. Gender neutral reader.





	1. Chapter 1

Diarmuid listened to you and your other servant, Emiya, argue. He listened with sadness. The roof was a tranquil place to be, while he sat on it, guarding the house. But right now it was hard to be there while the two of you argued. He badly wanted to go down there and tear you both apart and make you see that you shouldn't fight.

You yelled partly because you were irritated and tired. Partly because you wanted to be closer to Emiya. The way he was, though, told you that he didn't want anyone near. That no one should be near. Not unless he was defending you in battle. So it hurt you to be kept at a distance and you pushed him away in turn by being prickly. It wasn't that he didn't care or took care /of/ you. Cleaning the house, cooking, and making you all the tea you needed to function throughout the day.

You had recently taken on a second servant and it was a huge drain on your mana and subsequently, your energy. Not only that, but Diarmuid and Emiya had to sleep and eat every so often to maintain their mana, also. You were building up your own mana again, it was just going slowly. The current strategy was to turtle inside your home until you were well enough to leave and fight. That might have also been contributing to the arguing. You were a little stir-crazy.

"I don't know what I will have to do if you fall under his spell," Emiya insisted. "I think it's important you know that."

"It won't happen, so I don't know why you gotta keep bringing it up," you said dismissively.

Emiya seemed convinced that in your weakened state, you were more susceptible to Diarmuid's love spot. You thought he was being rude, talking about it behind the lancer's back. Diarmuid knew. It irked him but he had to fulfill his duties. It was another reason you were annoyed at Emiya.

You sipped on your tea that Emiya had recently placed on the bedside table. It was green tea with honey, just as you liked it. Which made it hurt even more because you fell for him even harder. He always made things the way you liked them.

"I wish I could have been matched with a more reasonable master," he muttered.

"Shut up!" you yelled from your seat on the bed.

"Oh?" he asked. "Are you going to cry now? The truth is harsh, Master."

A couple of tears did escape your eyes to run down your cheeks. You took shaky breaths, stubbornly staring at your tea and not at him.

"I am tired. Let us switch, Archer," said a third, kinder voice.

"Already? Very well," said Emiya.

He vanished into glowing silver specks to appear on the roof somewhere.

Diarmuid stepped closer to you from where he himself had appeared in the room.

"You are not weak. And yet you cry. Why, Master? Are you ill?"

The concern was plain on his beautiful face. His thin eyebrows almost met in the middle. His yellow eyes inspected you closely.

"Ahhh, no," you replied with hesitation. Should you explain that you had fallen for your other servant? You shouldn't have. There was probably a rule against it. Yet, if you were to admit this to one of the two, it should be Diarmuid. "Not ill. Sick. Lovesick."

He blinked.

"It's Archer, isn't it?"

That startled you.

"You know?!"

"It's not me so it must be him."

You made a face. "Yeeeeah, it is."

"You have my condolences, Master."

He gave a mock bow and then stood up straight with a grin.

You grinned. "You shush."

Diarmuid began removing his leather gear. His weapons had vanished into thin air already.

"Why him?" he asked. "It cannot be that you like to argue."

You heaved a sigh, done with crying for now.

"I feel safe with him around. I wish he could stay after the War is over. I want him to hold me every night when I go to sleep. And have breakfast with me every morning. And no man has made me more delicious food!" You smiled slightly.

"Those are good reasons."

"Thanks. By the way, sleep here. It's fine."

"Alright. Only so I can keep you safe." He was interrupted by a wide yawn. "For no other reason."

The more he talked, the sleepier he sounded. He dragged his feet over to the other side of the bed and got in. Facing away, he went to sleep. You glanced at the halo of black, unruly hair surrounding his head before turning away to think.

You got nowhere in your head, though.


	2. Chapter 2

Another sleep later, for both you and Diarmuid, and you were summoned by the priest overseeing the War to the church. You were nervous about leaving your home after spending so much time safely holed up inside of it, but Diarmuid's soft smile and Emiya's watchful gaze on your surroundings reminded you that you would be okay with them around.

They were equally nervous leaving you to enter the church alone, but rules were rules. No servants allowed within the churchyard or the church itself. Diarmuid leaned against the gate, dressed in a black leather jacket and equally black jeans. Emiya chose a long, red coat and dark shoes, keeping his eyes on the road that led here.

"You are too hard on our master, Archer," Diarmuid said, as soon as you disappeared into the church.

Emiya's eyes remained on the road while he responded. "Already, you start with that? I should have known you would."

"It is true. You should be more supportive. Not every master can support two servants."

"Barely," Emiya grumbled to himself, referring to your constantly fatigued state.

Diarmuid stepped away from the gate. He glared at his colleague.

"You didn't stop to consider that you may be draining our master's energy further by arguing so often?"

Emiya scoffed.

"That's nonsense."

"Then why does our master look so tired afterwards?"

"We wouldn't be in this predicament if you hadn't shown up in the first place," Emiya stated, barbs quietly lining each word.

Emiya had been the servant you originally summoned. Diarmuid was added to the team later, splitting your mana drain in two. Diarmuid didn't take kindly to Emiya's words and the implication that he might be a bad servant. They were about to come to blows when you showed up on the other side of the gate. They both lowered their gazes in embarrassment when they realized they hadn't sensed your approach until you were close. Two strong servants should have done better.

"Stop!" you called. "We got a bigger problem."

"What is it?!" Diarmuid asked.

"The Holy Grail War is over."

Both servants were dumbfounded, then they demanded answers. You didn't have many. Just that the priest explained that seven masters were never chosen. Just you and two others. The other masters killed each other for nothing. The current War had been a false start and the Grail was never going to appear in the first place.

"What?!" Emiya gasped. Even he, the most even-tempered one, was shocked.

"But Master," Diarmuid said. "Why are we still here?"

"I don't know."

They didn't know what to make of the emotions in your answer. Nor why they hadn't returned to the Throne of Heroes yet if the War was over. They both followed you to your car to head home for now, feeling lost and somewhat empty.

A lot was running through Emiya's mind. Before, he was concerned mainly with the team and his opinion that it wouldn't function in a fight. He was grumpy about not being able to do anything about it. But now that was irrelevant and he didn't know where to place his priorities.

If he remained on this earth, what should he do with himself? Everyone he knew was dead and buried. Same with Diarmuid. Speaking of...

"I'd like to remain with you, Master," the lancer said. "If you will have me."

He had caught up to walk alongside you. It seemed he had already made his decision. Diarmuid speaking brought Emiya out of his thoughts. Diarmuid was fond of you; it was obvious. At first, Emiya had sneered to himself about Diarmuid's soft spot for you. Being soft on you wasn't going to improve your chances in a fight. But now the possibility presented itself that he might remain in this world.

Emiya stopped. He closed his eyes and probed inside himself for his connection to you. And found it. Your mana still flowed into his form, giving it life. He opened his eyes, suddenly feeling ashamed. Because he knew that he would continue to need a roof over his head and food to eat, plus the mana supply. You would probably provide those things. You weren't the type to just toss him out on the street. Here he'd been, treating you terribly.

Emiya caught up with you as well but remained silent.


	3. Chapter 3

You expected that the two boys would want to go out in the world and see it for themselves, rather than just have the information given to them by the Grail when they were summoned. They did the opposite. They hung around you and leaned on you like needy puppies. You expected it a little more from Diarmuid, whose only wish had been to serve you as his lord. You didn't expect similar behaviour from Emiya but since he kept cooking you meals and cleaning your home, you let it go. Perhaps losing their purpose, to fight, and needing your mana made them anxious. As the mage who summoned them, you did feel an obligation towards them.

Both boys became subtly more affectionate. Where they would have kept a respectful distance before, that space disappeared. They touched your shoulder or your arm along with saying your name when they wanted your attention. Their eyes lingered on you as if they wanted something more. Before, it made sense to share the one bed in the house because the three of you would be in and out of at different times, anyway. Without discussing it, they just started sleeping with you nightly. With two strong, caring men on either side of you, you didn't want to say no. You were still recovering so you appreciated the protection.

You could deal with the extra bedmates. What was weird, was the morning wood poking you several times a week while they slept. The first time you realized what the warm, semi-firm knobs poking you were, you froze, unsure what to do. You ended up back asleep and you woke again to find them up. Problem solved.

The second time, you shifted around and Diarmuid hummed and bucked into you in his sleep. You were facing Diarmuid and Emiya was behind you, out of sight. So you tested Diarmuid's reaction to you caressing the soft little bulge in the front of his underwear. It's not that you had forgotten about Emiya. Diarmuid's touches and gazes had shown you that he was just as attractive as a person, just in different ways. You believed he had cared about you as a person all along, not just as a master, you just didn't see it.

The lancer hummed lewdly and blushed, giving his cheeks a pretty peachy pink hue. He rolled over, taking his erection out of reach. He sighed happily and hugged his pillow closer. Annoyed, you wriggled over the other way carefully, so as to not wake Emiya.

You swallowed a squeak when you found the archer's sleeping face a couple of inches from yours. He was deeply asleep, a slight furrow in his brow, like he was concentrating on getting a good night's sleep.

Looking at him, you were overwhelmed with the feelings you forgot you had for him. Before you knew it, you had a hand on his cheek and your pursed lips were on their way to that space between his brows to kiss away any bad dream he may be having.

No sooner had your lips pressed to his, his eyes opened and a silent snarl took to his face. You found yourself on your back, one of his signature blades against your neck, and his muscular body caging you in.

His eyes softened from cold steel to a blue grey. He swayed above you, looking down demurely.

"Master, please accept my apology."

You glanced down at the outline of his length in his boxers, the golden tan hills and valleys of his muscles holding him above you. His blade retreating from your skin, as you knew he would never willingly hurt you. Not after the care he showed you after choosing to stay in your home.

Before he could leave the space above you, you pushed the sword away and pulled him down into a kiss. He was stiff, and he may not have kissed you back from surprise, but it certainly turned his world upside-down. He was dumbfounded.

"M-mah..."

"Kiss our master back, Archer," Diarmuid chimed in. "It has been a long time coming."

The two of you glanced in his direction to watch him dematerialize and leave you alone. Emiya took that opportunity to retreat to the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and momentarily glanced back at you.

"Me? You choose me? A killer?"

Your heart cracked to hear his voice tremble. Just where had the confident archer gone? You scooted closer to him. There was a chance he could push you away. Instead, he leaned back into you and tucked his head against your neck. Less convinced he would pull away, you tentatively held his head, the other arm around his middle.

"Emiya," you said gently. "I've known you all this time. I'm sure about this."

He calmed quickly, breathing steadily and enjoying being in your arms.

"My first name is Shirou," he said. "There is so much I have not told you. How can you put that kind of trust in someone like that?"

"There's lots I don't know about Diarmuid. That doesn't mean he's been hiding it from me."

The comparison to the kinder-hearted man was a boost to Emiya. He tentatively put his hand on your arm that was around his body. Then his lips twisted into his usual wry smile.

"So what about Diarmuid?" he asked. "You are telling me he doesn't appeal you?"

"Of course he does. Have you seen that man?" you tried to joke.

"That doesn't bother me," was not /at all/ what you expected him to say next.

"O-oh."

He chuckled at your astonishment.

"You didn't consider why I stayed here knowing another man also shared your bed?"

"Yes, but." You blushed deeply. "Nothing happened."

"I bet you he wants to change that."

"W-well," you stuttered in embarrassment. "You don't?"

He hummed very quietly, leaning into you harder.

"Not yet."

"I'm in no hurry. Too tired. How about a cuddle party?"

"A cuddle party?!" he asked, looking up at you.

"Shirou! You're so cute when you're surprised!"

You rained kisses down on his forehead.

"Master, please!" he whimpered, not knowing yet what to do with all the love you were suddenly showing him, including calling him by his first name with affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was gonna be much shorter, but then it kept going. and then I was gonna add smut but I didnt feel in the mood and I'd have to make it female reader instead of neutral so bleh. this is what happened


End file.
